Improvement in vehicle-tops



s. b. WELLINCL VEHICLE-TOP.

No. 175,885. .PaftentedAprilll, 1876.

W'ITJV'ESSEb' INVENTOR Jpmlzm a 1/ ill? flttornez N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHDGRAPHER. WASNNGTON. [1 Cv UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron SAMUEL 1). wnnmne, or WEST GARLISLE, 01110;

IMPRCVEMENT IN VEHICLE-TOPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,885, dated April 11, 1876; application filed January 19, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL D. WELLING, of West Oarlisle, in the county of Ooshocton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buggy-Tops, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to a buggy-top of the class having a rigid or non-folding skeletonframe for the deck or top covering. The improvements claimed consist in a novel construction and combination of parts, hereinafter specifically designated.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my improved buggy-top in its raised position, and Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same, the top covering shown in dotted lines.

The buggy-seat A is provided at its front corners with brackets A A, which may each consist of a main portion or arm, an, attached by screws to the inside of either end of the seat, and an annular brace, a, passing from seat-rail, shown in this instance as formed in I part of two bent rods, B B, provided with studs b b resting in the brackets at the front corners and back of the seat, and keyed in place by wedges. Each rod B of theseatrail is curved upward and outward at its front, terminating in a shouldered threaded shank, c, at its end, and is bent upward at the back and connected to the top bar 0 of the seat-back, about over the back brackets B B, as shown. The upper portion of the seat-rail may be formed of rods D D, bent as shown, and fitted at their front ends on the shanks c c of the lower or main section B B, and secured at their rear upwardly and inwardly bent ends to the back top bar 0. By this construction a strong support for the upper portion of the seatback is secured, as well-as a firm base for the attachment of the top uprights and braces. The seat-back C may be formed of padded leather attached in the usual way to the top bar 0 and seat.

The top framing is supported so as to swing upon theseat-rail by means of rodsE E, fiteach divided, as shown, into three branches, e e 6 The branch 6 is about vertical, and in line, or nearly so, with the supporting-rod, while the branches 6 e are respectively bent or inclined to the front and back. These branches are rigidly connected, by screws or otherwise, at their ends, with the skeleton top frame, composed of side pieces F F and front and back or end pieces F F A central piece, F passes from side to side of the frame.-

The covering or deck of the top is secured to the rigid frame thus formed in suitable manner. Diagonal jointed braces G G, one at either side of the buggy, are mounted, so as to turn freely at their lower ends, on horizontally-projecting arms or studs H H, shown as formed with the lower rod or main sections B of the scat-rail, about in line with the seatback. The upper ends of the brace-rods are jointed to short arms I I formed with the central forks of the top supports. Nuts h 13 secure the ends of the jointed pivoted braces in place upon the threaded shanks H H and I I, against shoulders formed upon them. The joints g g of the braces aremade, as usual, so as to flex in one direction only.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the top may be swung back, without wrinkling or folding, outof the way, by bending the diagonal braces backward; and that, when so lowered out of the way, an unobstructed space is left at the sides of the buggy above the seat-rail. When the top is raised ample room is left for getting in and out of the buggy, as no portion of the top supports below their forks projectsin advance of the seat, and the supports themselves incline back out of the way. The branches of the supports afford a firm and rigid attachment for the top framing, and the central ones the means of pivoting the upper ends of the diagonal braces,

which firmly hold the top when raised, and jointed diagonal braces pivoted at their upadmit of its being readily lowered from within per ends to the central branches of the top the buggy. As the top does not fold when supports and at their lower ends to arms prolowered, it will last much longer and present a jecting from the seat-rail, substantially as set heater appearance than the usual folding top, forth. i

While it is much cheaper in construction, and In testimony whereof I have hereunto subcan be made very light. scribed my name.

I claim as of my own invention- SAMUEL D. WELLING. The combination of the seat-rail and back, Witnesses:

formed as specified, the swinging-top supports, r R. B. ALLEY,

their projecting arms and branches, and the I GEO. W. COOPER. 

